Work Experience and an MBA Education Valuable for Top Finance Jobs

As career changes become more common, more people are returning to college to expand skills acquired during years of business experience. Combine your work experience with an MBA for optimum career potential.

by Karen Lawson
karen.lawson@mba-business-schools.com
MBA Business Schools Columnist

You’ve invested years in your financial career, and you know that nothing is guaranteed in today’s dynamic business environment. Mergers and acquisitions, downsizing, and corporate scandals have lent an air of uncertainty to today’s workplace.

The good news is that the financial sector traditionally values work experience, and financial firms often promote from within their own ranks. If you want to advance from mid-level management to the executive suite, a combination of experience and an MBA degree can help.

Broad Range of Business Programs Offers Variety of Options

You’ve worked in finance for years and are a diamond in the rough. An MBA degree can provide the “polish” that will make you shine in the boardroom. You’ll gain valuable knowledge in business practices, state of the art technology for data analysis and reporting, and gain a sense of global commerce and its significance in modern business. As technology and international trade open more opportunities, ongoing education is essential in order to be competitive.

MBA programs are now available online, or in combinations of traditional classroom and online instruction. Online options provide flexibility in scheduling coursework and can be completed from home or during business travel. It’s also possible to select an area of concentration in your business program, such as finance, international commerce, or business technology.

Experience Provides a Strong Foundation for MBA Study

Your professional experience can provide a great basis for formal business programs. To succeed in executive level management, you’ll need strong communication skills, effective interpersonal skills, working knowledge of current technology, and solid understanding of current trends in your area of business. An MBA, when combined with your business experience, can provide a competitive edge as you advance to the executive suite.

Source

Bureau of Labor Statistics

About the Author

Karen Lawson is a freelance writer with more than twenty years of business experience. She holds BA and MA degrees in English from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Posted on December 8, 2006 at 12:05 PM

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